Current meter



c. H. Au

CURRENT METER Marek 5, 1929.

riginal Filed oct. 1v; 1925 a -L/(am *i Original application October 17,

A Puente! Man- 5,1si29.'`

,PATENrtfQoFEl'C;

i CARL n. nu, olfjwaanni;eff'loN,y DISTRICT orooLnM'BIA, ASSIGNOR; BvInIRECTA-ND MnsNE ASSIGNMENTS, Tol JENNrnpK. Reyner fwAsHINGTom-DTSTRICT or *co- LUMBIA f c c cUnRimTv METER- Y iszsyseriaiNo. 63,089'. Q Divided tedious appneu'en 'ined 1111513,

i This inventionilrelatestoiielcetiicalrinakei and-break contactchamberaand more `particularlytosuch chambers in whichl the motion producing` the v:make and break isffurcounting and indicatingdcvices', forinstance,

in electrical current meters., -1n meters of `vfthlscharactcr, means driven by the fluid cur-` rent, as air,'fwa ter-orthelike, serve to drive a f shaft mounted in asuitable supportsuclnior to the end that thefsame. may functionl with example, as a.yoke',`onerarm ofwhich carries the contact chamber into lwhich ytheendot' the shaft pro'ects and effects a ,maleand-brealr Contact with a brush forli-iin@nr partoff-'an 'elec-V tric circuit, the make-'and-break of the circuit 20. being effected either directly throughthe contact and break of 'Contact of the brush withV the shaft, or through make-and-b'reak. contact f with asecondary shaft driven thereby.

Inmy application Serial No. 63,089,7fi1ed 25 October 17 ,1925, of Whichvthisl application-isv 11a division, rI have described :'md'claimedy construction `of Ashaft peculiarlyidesignedto i be readilydisassembledfor'iclaningor trans-v n v Vport/ation and inwhichthebearings arenpro- .y V tected from'sedirnentxand` other foreign matr ter .which would cause' undueifrictiony that would interfere with the accurate functionV of the -device I" l 'ln'cur'rent meters, the drivingconnectlon i between .the main shaftandthesupplemental shaft inthe contactchamber, which connection is usually in the form ofja Worm and gear,

" must be nicely adjusted so as to efectaccurate driving of the transverseshaft Withoutuni 40v due'friction or binding actlon; The contact r between the ci'1rrcnt-d riven element andthe so-called brush isfof extreme Aim .'ortance 7 since the accuracy ofthefresults olatained:y by use of the vcurreutjdrivcn motori ,depends vupon the accuratefunctioning ofthis brush'.

. l Heretofore thisbrush has been intheform of aspring, rone endof Whichis Vsecured in the' ffviding a flexiblecontact brush composed ota. end of which is bent into the form of a"V,`the

c VVwall of thecontact chamber, and the other point of the V beinfrplaced in position to 'resulting from extended use;

is necessarily very: minute and, by reasonof i fits construction, it mustbe accurately placedso that the point of the V thereon will make the proper contact. Moreover,'this brush is necessarily insulatedlfrom the Wall of the contact chamber in which it is carried, andit is extremelyV desirable lto remove fthe brush A and replace thelsame `Without disturbing the" msulationof the brush mounting in the Walls;V

ofthe contact chamber.

It is an `object ofthel present invention to yprovide means for nicely adjusting' the engagement between thewvorm on ther main shaft and the Worm Vgearon the countershaft,

great accuracy. l This yis of importance not only in the assembling ofthe parts-When new, butto compensate for lWear between the parts -jAiurtherobject lisgto vprovide a Contact f inserted in position in the contact chamber so as to makercquired 'makeandb1'eak conc 'brush so constructed that it maybe readily tact; that shall beleXible to reduce friction A 4consists in so mountinglthe `u 'orm'gcar on the v countershatt and the countershaft itself 1n the contact chamber that thegear maybe nicely adjusted fwith. relation `to'fthe Worm on the of contact; lthatshall not be liable to be broken; and in .which thecontact brush andthe main-shaft,;preferably,fthis israccomplished by mounting the countershaft in bearings carricd by La diskyin' thezbottom ofthe contact chamberand placingthe Worm gearon saidI countershaftlto one side? of` the radius ofthe '9o chamber which is perpendicular' to saidfshaft.

As thermain shaft-iin'ojects into the chamber at one side thereof, it will be apparent thatby ,A l shifting the" disk bearing thek 'countershaftf.4

aroufndth'e center of the contact chamber, any Q `1 'degree ofladjustment required With relation to the Worm'carried by the` mzunshaftinay be 1 secured.

strandoif Wires andv preferably having a small knob secured on the end thereof to effect con- Furthermore, the' invention consists in pro-r V 'tact with the shaft, said strand of Wires being i mounted zit-,the end opposite the knob in acari v rier which` is removable as a unit from the chamber n Without disturbing the insulation therefor. y y x l LrEhe r`inventionfurther consist-s in the details of yconstruction' and` arrangement..ofv `parts .asewill-kbe hereinafter nioreffullyde- '.scrbed. The vinvention :involved isv capable of receiving ra variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the"purposenfiillustrating the invention, is shown in the accom#V .-panyingdrawings ibut itl-wis ato bei eX1; res'sly` t understood that these drawingsfarefortlie purpose of illustration onlyand are not dey i K A ""serewthreaded onto fthe outer lend' of the signed to 'define the limitso'iI gthe invention, 'referencefbeing had" to the appended lclaims 'fforthis-pu-rpose.

yIn Asaid' dra-wings n Fig.' 11 is" asideelevationv of one form ofcurrent meter Ito which the 'invention1 isl applie'iblefpartsfbeing shownin section; y

` Fig.v Qfisf a sectional viewoftlie Contact '1 Ebrushand its mounting@ partsi being shown" in elevation -is anextendedorexplode'd view-of theeontact brush and `itsV mountingfwith the parts show-n iii-perspective v #Fig tis atop; plan review of'thecontact chamberand its-contained parts, with the cap removedg to fe'xpose said parts `.in the' interior :ofthe/chamber; f l f fFigx'is aperspectiveview o'ffthe countershaft in its adjustable mounting.

v iRe'ferringito the drawings, in'vvsihichilikev reference `numerals iindicate lflike vthroughoutthe several views, Athere is shown, v

- ffor the -fpurposeof :illustration, ,a cup-driven p y i y and this' is eifecte'd without any circumferenyparts current'inotor-1nounted in :a suitable yoke,

butfit is to? beexpresslyunderstood1 that :the 'iinvention may be applied to'Y other :forms of y :motor Without fdeparting rfroinfthe-spirit. In1the drawings,f 1 indicates al shaft f thereof. p *having at.y one endagtailiipiece- 2 removably secured thereto andfat the lother end a yoke composed of; arins; 3". .Passingzthrough lthe shaftflis a .suitablestallilon the lower en'dof which ---is usually secured a l(weight i(fnot shown) Lof iisuitable 'form and V`characterxto maintain theA device. i111 uprightposition, allfas will be-readily understoodibyithose familiar Withihe art..v :A- cup Wheel` is mounted loir* a shaft17,ivhosebearings are: supportedbysfthe `arms f3, `3 ',o'l'fthe yoke. Aallzfxthese.partsinayibe of ytheiusual or :anyrisuitable preferred Construction, :though l in the present instance o the-shaft .7 iis-shown Aas df .tlieaforin described f andfclaimed `i-npzby aforesaid application.

lchamber which: is shown.. assubstantially -cylindrical in'eross-section and providediwithaa cap 8' :screw-threaded on otherwise secured in p in the upper arm l'othe yokefthesamezbeing held in position'by set-screw y*11,'preferably in a ysleeve @0f-:With i. theljcollar 29 abutting againstthe outer end thereof, and a nutl havinoF an vinteriorl ro'ectirwr lflange' is D 2D C sleeve-30 until it engages-the collar 29 onl the thereof; the other end issecuredto a stein 28. having a collar 29. This stem lits smoothly f stein r28,"tliereby lir-nily v'holding 'said stein xin lsaifd sleeve.l TheV SleeVeSO 'is [preferably provided Withfa flange ,'32, and the interior end vof'the sleeve is screw-threaded*in-to -an (insulation-block 33,Whic'h block lis alsoypro- Vvidedwithexterior screw-threads, asfclearly shoWninfFigs.-21and`3. 'Referringfnomvto i Fig. 1,1 thev insulation "block *.83 is screwthreaded intoA a thickened Wlli of the chainpositionfto contactlwith af ridge onf-the rod -ber'f8, with the beaded -en'd Q7v 'of thebrushfin a J `l2 at leach revolution :.thereo'l, and J- the :wire i :35; leading 'to a battery 35' (Which is clon- .c ne'c'te'd by a Wire 1375"1-With the staff.k .4) is clamped against the wnu-t V311 byr a bindingnut i i kn, willteetserveathttinpiacingthisemail in position it is onlynecessary'toygivefthe Wire stranda 'slight'sidewi'seibend toinsure that itwfill properly contact lwithiftlie rib 25,

ibroken, .fthusovercoming .a .diiculty i-re-' f quently l experienced when: a single A' p'iece fof .springrwire isremploye'd, These parts are ex- 4itrein'ely delicate, the Same beiugfshownfhere on an enlarged scale, and by the construction :zliere shownathey ,f can, notwithstanding their fminuteconstruction, bereadilyi and accurate- `Aly placed,infoperativeposition without dan- Iger off breakage of:theApar-ts.l v

llov lremove the brushgitfisj onlynecessaryito .fdisconnect the-:wire ,35 andgunscrewiV the nut31,

llO

:when the brush, 'together A.With the -st`e1ni28,

canbei removed intact,l as shownlin the upper part offl-Figx, and 'that Without disturbing theinsulation 'forthefsleeve 30. VAlly the oper-ationsxcanubey performed iether Vwith the l i-ngersor lthe Luse of a Verysmall .Wrench `To -restoretheparts: tol positiongit isv only :necespisary: to insert fthe brush, ,together with the v .the .top i ofi-the chamber. y:This contact chanif ber-is provided Withfa downwardly projectl ying `ihollow arme9 by1=means ofywheh said f chamberis mounted irrangopeni-ng l'Oforinedv lgs) .-toiFgs. 1, 4 .and 5,.;37 v

iso

. 'ipafway portion, vto the interior circumference i j of the contact chamber. Projecting upward from'said disk are twoybearin'g posts 38, 38, in whiclithe shaft 39 -is'mounted tof turn. The bearing posts 38,38 are so positioned Y Y thatthe shaft 39 extends across the contact chamber 8.' Keyed'to the shaft39 and to one side of a radius of theehamberl perpendicular yto the shaft, is a wormwheel 40, and theshaft is also 'provided with ,a plurality of radial projections41 with which the brush26 makes contactat each revolution of the shaft. The -di'sk 37. has a curved slot 42 formed therei through and through thisslot a screw 43 (Fig. 4) extends andis screw-threaded intO the bottom of the contact chamber 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.y By loosening the contact screw li3,the disk l37.1nay be moved `a small distance around its center so asto bring the worin lwheel 40 into accurate working engagement with-the worm 24 (Fig. kl) on the pi'ojectin end ofthe rod 12 forming i part ofthe sha t 7, 4when the screw 43`and the `parts are thus held in correct operative relation. Bytliis means, vprovision is not only madefor the correct initial adjustment j. of the parts for proper engagement between v the worm and worm wheehbut also for such adjustment as mayv be 'necessary totake up any wear between these parts.

n wili be Observed einen of ai@ para .of

n the brush are so constructed that the brush may be readily removed kwithout disturbing `the/insulation between said brush and the contact chamberand asrreadily. insertedv in proper position withoutv the use of tools ;'that the proper contactbetween the wormwheel `40 on the shaft 39and the worm 24 on the shaft 7 may be adjusted with a nicety, andV all without the exercise .of more than'the ordinary skill. i l

It will be readilyv appreciated by those skilled in the art that the inventive idea illustrated in the drawings may be embodied in other forms than that'lierein shown without' Y in any way departingjflm the s irit ofthe shaft, a countershaft. mountedl transversely V Vof said chambery and having'a contact point thereon, nieansl for. bodily adjusting said countcrshaft-around the center of said chainzber, a worm gear on said countershaft toone yside of a radius of said chamber that yisperpendicular to the countershaft, said gear operatively engaging said worm, and a ycontact brush mounted insa-id chamber in 'position to engage said contact point at each revoluf* tion of said countershaft.

rtact tershaft V 2. Inan' electrical make-and-break device, the combination of a contact chamber, a driven worm shaft projecting into said chamber' to one side of the center thereof, a counter- `shaft extending transversely of said chamber and having a'contact point thereon, a disk supportingsaid countershaft, said disk be? ing adjustable around thelongitudinal en- :ter of 'said chamber, a wormgear on saidV countershafft to one side of the radius of said chamber that is perpendicular to the countershaft, said gear operatively engagingfthe worm shaft, and a contact brush mounted inA said chamber inposition to engage said conn point at each revolution of said countershaft. 1 y 1 3. ,'-In ,an electrical make-and-break device, `the Ycombination of a cylindrical Contact ch amber,'a driven worm shaft projecting into said chamber to one side of the axis ,the 1eof a disk mountedto be turned in said chamber around the axis thereof, a countershaft mounted on said disk and extending transversely of said chamber and y having a plurality of contact points thereon,ga Worm gear on said countershaft to one side of the radius of said chamber that is perpendicular to theV countershaft and operatively engaging the worm shaft,.a flexible contact brush, amount- .ing therefor extending through the walls ofY said chamber and insulatedtherefrom, said brush being in position to engaUe said contact points at each revolution of said coun.

4c.` InY an electrical make-and-break device, the combination of a contact chamber and a contact brush, Vsaid brush comprising a flexible strand ofk metallic wires, a stein to which one end of said strandis connected, an insulated mounting for .said stem extending through-thewallsof said chamber andv having a longitudinal opening through which said stein.. extends, and means separatefrom lsaid stem and mounting removably ysecuring said stem slidably in said mounting, whereby said stem and brush may be removed from the ,chamber without disturbance of said mounting or the insulation therefor.

threaded sleeve of insulating material in the wall of said chamber, a second threaded sleeve 5. In an `electrical make-and-break device, i Y

vthe combination of a contact chamber, aKV

secured. in saidinsulation sleeve, a rod having an exterior shoulder passingk through said second sleeve, means engaging said shoulder and locking said stemrtov said last-mentioned.-

sleeve, and a contact brush secured to the inner end of lsaid stem, whereby said brush and stem may be removedV from the chamber without disturbance of the mounting therev for. Y

' In-,testimony whereof 1I havesigned thisspecification. v

` CARL H. AU.` 

